1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to nail clippers and particularly to a nail clipper holding device includes a housing comprising a body having a hollow interior for holding nail clippings and having a generally ellipsoid configuration that is easy to grip, a channel in an upper portion of the housing having a configuration suitable to receive the base of a nail clipping device to hold it securely, a receiving area on which a user may position his finger adjacent the cutting head of the fingernail clipping device, a gripping member attached to a lower portion of the housing to receive a user's fingers or hand, and stabilizing members which may be attached to the bottom surface of the lower portion to hold the housing stationary on a flat surface.
2. Description of Related Art including information disclosed under 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98
It is sometimes difficult for a person to maintain an effective grip on traditional nail clippers while attempting to trim one's own nails or those of another person. A lack of grip on nail clippers may be because a lack of dexterity by a person's fingers, the small and awkward size of traditional clippers, or the slippery texture of the metal construction. As a result, the lack of grip may result in dropping the clippers, cutting a fingernail too deeply, or being unable to cut completely through a thick fingernail or toenail.
Various devices have been proposed in the prior art for enhancing the grip of a fingernail clipping device. Although assumedly effective for their intended purposes, the existing devices are not easily adaptable to be held by a user, to be stationed on a flat surface, to secure multiple types or sizes of clippers, or for collecting fingernail clippings.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,546,658, issued Aug. 20, 1996 to MacLeod et al, indicates a nail clipping and collecting device for use with a conventional nail clipper designed to be easily grasped and manipulated, particularly by persons with reduced or impaired manual dexterity. A conventional nail clipper is removably positioned within a base and within a handle of the device which are removably hingedly connected together, and the base is configured for receiving, storing and emptying nail clippings. The handle is configured for removably storing a nail file, and a magnifying lens is adjustably connected to the handle for positioning to magnify a nail to be cut.
U.S. Pat. No. D403,116, issued Dec. 22, 1998 to Ross, puts forth the ornamental design for a combination nail clipper and cover therefor.
U.S. Pat. No. D4,956,915, issued Sep. 18, 1990 to Anderson, is for a sanitary nail clipping device for fingernails and toenails which includes an enclosure having an open side facilitating insertion of a nail-carrying digital member, and having a nail clipper aperture therethrough on its opposite side from the open side. The enclosure has a transparent top panel having a portion configured as a magnifying lens. A retention element is secured to the inside of the enclosure at a location adjacent the nail clipper aperture. The nail clipper has a portion thereof carrying clipper jaws extended through the aperture into the enclosure, and there detachably engaged by the retainer element.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,943,948, issued Mar. 16, 1976 to Sartore, illustrates a case with closeable lid comprised of a generally longitudinally tubular portion in which a nail clip can be inserted therein. Conforming to the same general outline of the nail clip which it houses and shell-like in appearance to it. Having internal pressure catches to captively hold the nail clip in place. With provision in its top wall to allow for the free movement of the operating handle and provision for a file, placed on a transverse to the longitudinal portion. Also containing a closeable and sealable front lid.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,602,430, issued Jul. 29, 1986 to Allen, Jr., provides a nail clipper handle and clipping catcher receptacle for a nail clipper of the lever action type. A resilient body member defines a slot into which the clipper can be inserted and retained by a depression formed in the bottom of the slot. The clipper is retained also by flanges and cavities within the body member. Large inner cavities extend within the body member on both sides of the clipper to receive and retain clippings sheared by the clipper. Such clippings can be disposed by removing the clipper and inverting the body member.
U.S. Pat. No. D307,195, issued Apr. 10, 1990 to Suppes, shows the ornamental design for a finger nail receptacle.
U.S. Pat. No. D562,499, issued Feb. 19, 2008 to Park, claims the ornamental design for a nail clipper.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,632,288, issued May 27, 1997 to Webb, describes a catcher for nail clippings shaped to slip onto a standard nail clipper. The catcher is made of a resilient material having laterally projecting cells for receiving the clippings. The catcher is designed to allow convenient collection and disposal of the clippings while ensuring compatibility with commonly possessed nail clippers. Such a design incorporates a slit made substantially along the body of each of the projecting cells for quick and efficient disposal of the stored nail clippings.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,150,521, issued Sep. 29, 1992 to Han, discloses a nail collection box for a nail clipper, including a nail collecting portion having a cylindrical configuration includes a handle portion integral with the collecting portion having a hollow space for receiving the body of the nail clipper and an engaging protrusion disposed at the rear end portion thereof to be engaged with a locking hole of the body of the clipper, and a separate concave collector for easily engaging with and disengaged from the collecting portion, whereby the nail collection box can effectively collect clipped nail fragments and prevent the collected nail fragments from scattering.
U.S. Pat. No. D361,865, issued Aug. 29, 1995 to Tosolt, puts forth the ornamental design for a nail clipper and support.
U.S. Pat. No. D546,502, issued Jul. 10, 2007 to Lund et al, is for the ornamental design for the combined nail clipper and holder.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,564,034, issued Jan. 14, 1986 to Mackel, provides a nail clipper holder which permits a conventional nail clipper to be operated with only a downward press of one finger or one toe, with the hand or foot having the nail to be cut resting on a common surface with the holder. The clipper butt end instantly slips into a socket in the block-like base of the holder, and is as quickly removed; a portion of the clipper with the jaws protrudes upwardly and forwardly beyond the holder and the socket has an incline downwardly toward the rear that tips the jaws upward for safe visibility and for increasing the securance of the clipper in the socket under pressure of nail cutting.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,159,595, issued Jan. 9, 2007 to Cho, shows a padded receiving device for nail care devices comprising a pad, a pad holder with a pad, or a padded base engaging case, individually or in any combination with each other. The pad holder for supporting the pad has a front slit and an optional rear slit. The pad holder has a top member and a bottom member molded or attached together. A hook from a rear end of the bottom member attaches the pad holder to the nail care device. The pad has a top piece and a bottom piece joined together by a center piece. The center piece situates at an opening bored on the nail care device. The padded receiving device may consist of the pad independent of the pad holder. If the nail care device has a base, the padded receiving device further comprises a padded base engaging case.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,523,545, issued Feb. 25, 2003 to Rende, claims a device for retaining nail clippings within a nail clipper which includes a housing adapted to cover the openings between the clippers elongate members, on both sides, from the first ends to the second ends thereof, thereby forming an enclosed region within the nail clipper. In addition, the device includes a valve element, adapted to be located between the elongate members, for blocking the passage of the nail clippings from the region of the jaw to the tail of the nail clipper when the jaw is opened and for allowing passage of the nail clippings when the jaw is closed. This allows nail clippings to pass to the region between the elongate members when the nails are being clipped and thereafter to be retained in this region when the jaw is opened. Thus, in effect, the valve works as a one way valve, permitting passage of the nail clippings into, but not out of, the nail clipper.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,870,826, issued Feb. 16, 1999 to Lewan, describes a nail clipper gripping aid. The aid comprises a channel including a central web and flanges extending in a first direction, the channel is formed with a fin extending in a second direction opposite the first direction. The fin has at least one finger opening therein. The usual nail clipper is mounted in the channel with the operating lever extending away from the aid so that it is readily operable.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,052,416, issued Oct. 1, 1991 to Rommerdale, discloses control improving components for fingernail clippers which incorporate finger/thumb receiving and holding zones constructed mounted directly to conventional implements, such as manicure implements, for use and access by individuals with reduced or impaired manual dexterity. Preferably, each control improving and enhancing system is constructed for being quickly and easily securely mounted to existing implements and may be removable therefrom for use on other implements. In addition, each control improving and enhancing system is constructed with enlarged, specially constructed, readily accessible, easily employable finger/thumb receiving and supporting zones which are positioned to assure complete operational control of the implement, thereby enabling individuals with reduced or impaired manual dexterity, or with varying stages of joint diseases, such as arthritis, to naturally and confidently use the implements.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,490,327, issued Feb. 13, 1996 to Ohori, concerns a plastic retainer for a nail clipper. The retainer is of skeletal construction and sized to receive a nail clipper. The side walls of the retainer receive the nail clipper in friction fit manner and define a chamber to receive nail clippings. In addition, the forward end of the nail clipper is received in a recessed position with the jaws of the nail clipper behind a front wall of the retainer. The forward end of the nail clipper can be moved to a raised operating position with the jaws of the nail clipper above the front wall and in an exposed position for nail cutting purposes. Projections are provided on the retainer at the forward end to prevent the forward end of the nail clipper from moving out of the retainer when being raised into the raised operating position.
Two U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,855,698 issued Dec. 24, 1974 and 3,903,596 issued Sep. 9, 1975 to Crosby, indicate an ecology nail-clip reservoir device for enclosing a nail clip and enclosing case operable in the closed state of the case having a case reservoir structure for the clipped nails. The clipping lever is enclosed with an exposed lever-end accessible for applying finger pressure thereto to close the clipper blades, and the casing structure providing a concavely shaped aperture following the opposing blades providing access to finger ends carrying nails to be clipped, the enclosure being openable for emptying collected clippings therefrom.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,180,025, issued Apr. 27, 1965 to Tsunemi, concerns a combined nail clipper and clippings receptacle.
U.S. Patent Application #20090223055, published Sep. 10, 2009 by Wendorf et al, is for a nail clipping apparatus for cutting a fingernail, thumbnail, or toenail nail of a user, comprising a base having an upstanding support member and a nail clipper disposed on the support member, wherein the nail clipper has a rotatable cutter head actuated to cut the user's nail by pivoting movement of a lower clipper arm upwardly toward and an upper clipper arm on which the cutter head resides, wherein the upper clipper arm is connected to the support member and wherein the lower clipper arm is connected to an actuating member that extends in front of the cutter head were a nail positioning pad is disposed on the actuating member adjacent the cutter head and where a user pushes downwardly on the actuating member to move the lower clipper arm upwardly toward the upper clipper arm to actuate the cutter head to cut a nail positioned in the cutter head.
U.S. Patent Application #20090119922, published May 14, 2009 by Doyle et al, provides an electrically powered, self-operated, hands-free, fingernail clipper for persons having neither the strength nor the flexibility to use a conventional leaf-spring type nail clipper. The unit is mounted in a PVC housing, with an aluminum cover, and consists of an electric, 3 RPM Hi-Torque motor, mounted on the side of a chassis strut, with a direct shaft drive to a Tri-Lobe cam that depresses the activating lever of a pair of conventional, leaf-spring type nail clippers. The motor is activated by a rocker switch, applying power through a cable plugged into normal house current (115-120V).
U.S. Patent Application #20080148572, published Jun. 26, 2008 by Samson, shows a nail clipper which can be used by a person having only one hand. The nail clipper comprises a base shaped to rest on a horizontal surface and an elongate actuator pivotably connected at one end to the base. A first cutting edge is located on the base and an opening is provided in the actuator to allow the nail of a finger of a hand pressing down on the actuator to be placed over the first cutting edge. A second cutting edge movable with the actuator towards the first cutting edge is used to trim the nail resting on the first cutting blade when the actuator is depressed.
What is needed is a fingernail and toenail clipper holding device that solves the limitations of the existing devices and provides a device that enables a user to more easily grip and use the nail clippers.